School organizational culture and its influence on student deviant behaviour in Secondary Schools of Bungoma County,Kenya

Abstract

Deviant behaviour in secondary schools continues to be a matter of global concern; more so in developing countries like Kenya. Knowledge of the kinds of deviance being indulged in and the role it plays in particular individuals, groups, schools, communities or sub-cultures is vital for any prevention programme yet this has been missing. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining school organizational culture and its influence on student deviant behaviour in secondary schools of Bungoma County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to: Identify types of student deviant behaviour most prevalent in schools of Bungoma County; Examine features of school culture being practiced and their influence on student deviance in schools within Bungoma County; Investigate prevention strategies being applied within school culture to minimize student deviant behaviour; and examine corrective mechanisms within school culture being used to curb student deviant behavior. The study was based on Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory of Human Development, 2001. A sample size of 400 respondents was used from a target study population size [N] of 155,796, composed of students, teachers and school management staff in secondary schools of Bungoma County. A mixed research method was used. The mixed research design that comprised of concurrent triangulation, correlation, cross sectional survey and phenomenology was employed. Multiphase and stratified random sampling was used to select schools,students and teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select key informants. The data for the study was obtained through questionnaires, interviews, document analyses and direct observations. A pilot study was conducted in eight schools to ascertain instrument reliability. Cronbach Alpha’s measure of internal consistency yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Expert judgment was used to determine validity of the research instruments. Descriptive statistics: cross-tabulations and frequency tables together with inferential statistical analyses: Chi square and simple linear regression analyses were used to analyze quantitative data. The decision criterion was pegged on the value of μ<.05. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Descriptive analysis established that all the ten features of school culture sampled for the study were rated positively on an applicability continuum at a threshold of 22%. Chi-square tests and regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between school culture and prevalence of student deviant behaviour hence null hypotheses as stated in the study were all rejected. The study concludes that deviant behaviour is mutative in nature and schools must address even the smallest manifestation of each. Further, school culture does influence student deviant behaviour prevalence but other factors within the school set up and environment have an impact too. The study findings provide an empirical backing to education stakeholders in their consideration of school organizational culture as an important factor in mitigating the worrying trend of deviant behaviour in secondary schools. The study recommends that: alleviating prevalence of student deviant behaviour in Bungoma county schools requires interfacing and unreserved engagement of partnerships both within school and family environments as prescribed by Bronfenbrenner’s model. Further, there is need to re-evaluate existing school norms in order to address rampant theft which stood out as the most prevalent form of deviance despite existence of elaborate preventive strategies within school cultures